It's interesting to note though that Akhilesh did not sack Gayatri Prajapati, a tainted minister, who was accused of being involved in illegal mining and land grabbing. Prajapati took oath of the office and secrecy for the fourth time in the past three years.

Akhilesh sacking Shivpal is thus, as has been repeated many times, a show of strength - telling Mulayam that Akhilesh is the person in-charge of the government and he will not tolerate dissent or insubordination.

The next 24 hours is crucial for the party's dynamics and Shivpal's role in the government. Mulayam is convening a meeting on Monday where, reports allege, that a solution to the ongoing impasse will be found. In the past, Mulayam has been an ardent supporter of his brother Shivpal. "While he (Shivpal) is busy doing his job honestly and efficiently, a conspiracy is afoot against him and responsible people in the government are humiliating him,” Hindustan Times quoted Mulayam as saying in August. "But if Shivpal quits, the party will go to winds," Mulayam had added.

13:06 (IST)

Netjai will always be my leader: Akhilesh Yadav

Speaking to Network18, Chief Minister Akhilesh said, "I will not let my party break at any cost. I am going to attend netaji's meeting that will be conducted at his office on Monday. Netaji will always be my leader,"

16:13 (IST)

CM Akhilesh's decision to reinstate sacked ministers: Mulayam

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday asserted that there were no differences within the family or in Uttar Pradesh's ruling party and all were "united", signalling an end to days of bitter infighting.

"Our family is united, the party is united... We stand united with full strength," Mulayam Singh said in his first media conference after Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav sacked his uncle Shivpal Yadav from the cabinet.

Asked if Shivpal Yadav and other ministers sacked by Akhilesh Yadav would be reinstated, Mulayam Singh said he would leave this decision to the Chief Minister.

The Samajwadi Party chief is said to have brokered peace between his son, Chief Minisrter Akhilesh Yadav and the party's Uttar Pradesh unit president Shivpal Yadav.

With inputs from IANS

16:01 (IST)

BJP comments after Mulayam's press conference

SP & BSP are out of league in upcoming UP elections, they should take an example of BJP & learn something: Keshav Prasad Maurya, BJP UP Pres pic.twitter.com/siNiPXdRy9

Mulayam won't change the CM now, but his message to Akhilesh is pretty clear

Akhilesh since the very beginning has despised Amar Singh's closeness with Shivpal and Mulayam. But Mulayam has always maintained that Amar Singh is a good human being and "like a brother to me." Even in his yesterday's briefing, Akhilesh said that the rift within SP is because of Amar Singh.

Even today, during the media briefing Mulayam told a journalist not to "bring Amar Singh into everything." What we understand is that Mulayam is in no mood to entertain Akhilesh's demand of no-Amar Singh in the UP government. Mulayam knows he cannot win the elections just with Akhilesh, he will definitely need Amar Singh and Shivpal to win the crucial elections

15:11 (IST)

There's no point thinking of changing leadership now: Mulayam

Q: Theres a proposition that you should be CM & all problems will be solvedMulayam Singh: Only 2 months left for polls, why think this now?

Mulayam Singh Yadav denies that there's no rift in the party even thought the rift is huge. While brother and recently-reinstated minister Shivpal was by Mulayam's side, son and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav was conspicuously missing.

The other important takeaway from the press conference is for the first time Mulayam, who always has given priority to the party, said that crucial decisions will be taken by the legislative party. Hence, leaving major decisions with the Chief Minister.

15:04 (IST)

Yes its true that the majority was in my name (in 2012), we made Akhilesh CM. Now its upto him to carry out responsibilities: Mulayam Singh pic.twitter.com/QgfSvLr5pO

Mulayam dismisses reports that he will replace Akhilesh as the chief minister

When asked about Ram Gopal's "khota sickka" comment, Mulayam dismissed it saying "it does not matter what he says." The party chief also said that he will not replace Akhilesh as the chief Minister ahead of Uttar Pradesh election.

The media briefing initially had an audio problem. Party supremo's statement was not too clear in the beginning but Mulayam asserted that the party and the family is one and there's no difference.

It would have been easy to believe Mulayam if what he said and what everyone saw was the same. Even as the party supremo swore by the unity in his party, everyone noticed that while sacked minister Shivpal was present at the media briefing, son and Chief Minister Akhilesh was conspicuous with his absence.

Mulayam's press briefing at 2.30 pm is crucial one but how will the party supremo break the logjam

The Grand Old Man of Samajwadi Party is going to address the press very soon and experts have said that the media briefing is going to one of the most crucial ones. Acrimony, bitter exchanges and personal attacks have so far marked all public meetings of the Yadav family and there has been no respite in sight.

But on Tuesday, a few major developments hinted that the impasse might end soon. Mulayam reinstated Shivpal in the council of ministers and brought in Beni Prasad Verma to replace Ram Gopal in the party.

14:41 (IST)

Gayatri Prajapati, who was spared by CM Akhilesh Yadav this time around, blames BJP for rift within Samajwadi Party

The wait for all those, who have been waiting on an official word regarding the ongoing power tussle in Samajwadi Party, is over. ANI reports that party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav will address a press conference at 2.30 pm today at Samajwadi Party office.

Earlier on Monday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar called the feud within the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh as an "internal matter". but said had efforts of merger of the Janata Parivar succeeded, situation would have been "much better".

"Those in that party will themselves find a solution," he said after inspecting the ghats on bank of Ganga for coming Chhath Puja.

With inputs from PTI

13:02 (IST)

Lalu Prasad Yadav expresses anxiety, offers helping hand

Offering his two cents on the ongoing Samajwadi Party feud, RJD president Lalu Prasad said that SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is capable of solving such problems and if the need arises he would go to Uttar Pradesh to lend a helping hand.

Prasad said he was concerned over the feud within the SP family because he was related to them. The RJD chief's daughter is married to Tej Pratap Singh Yadav, MP from Mainpuri and grandson of Mulayam Singh Yadav.

With inputs from PTI

12:39 (IST)

Dynastic politics in India

Writing for Firstpost, Prakash Nanda looks at India's political dynasties and provides the DMK family, the Shiv Sena and the Scindia family as examples. He further writes that "the imminent split has nothing to do with the philosophy of socialism that the Uttar Pradesh’s ruling party professes to practice".

12:20 (IST)

Informal meet at Mulayam's residence

After Monday's high drama at a meeting of the Samajwadi Party, state unit chief Shivpal Yadav on Tuesday said all was well in the party as he visited Mulayam Singh Yadav's residence and was joined in later by his nephew and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

While, outside the state SP headquarters, tension ran high with followers of Shivpal and Akhilesh raising slogans in favour of their respective leaders.

With inputs from PTI

12:09 (IST)

A peek into the who's who of the SP

Confused about those involved in the Samajwadi Party rift? Here's a handy family tree we've come up with to make the issue a little clear.

12:04 (IST)

How did the SP feud unfurl?

There was always friction between father Mulayam and son Akhilesh Yadav, but it reached a breaking point on Sunday. This great Indian political saga taking place in Uttar Pradesh has its main cast in Akhilesh, Mulayam, Shivpal and Ram Gopal, with supporting key understudies in Amar Singh, bureaucrat Anita Singh and Azam Khan.

As this Firstpost piece notes, Mulayam has been interfering in matters of governance ever since Akhilesh became Uttar Pradesh CM. This has given rise to doubts as to who has been and is running the state.

11:58 (IST)

SP leaders hold meet at Mulayam's residence

Akhilesh and Shivpal Yadav at Mulayam's house to discuss truce, and Shivpal's return, reports Times Now. While CNN-News18 says that Beni's elevation in the party might be due to Amar Singh.

This Firstpost article detailed that Amar Singh first met Mulayam Singh Yadav at Vir Bahadur's residence and joined the SP in 1996. "After that, Singh's rise in the party was meteoric."

11:53 (IST)

No action against Amar Singh

As Ajay Singh writes for Firstpost in this piece, Amar Singh is "a critical figure in the ongoing tussle within the Mulayam Singh Yadav household". But having said that, sources tell CNN-News18 that no action will be taken against the SP leader.

Beni Prasad Verma, a prominent Kurmi leader, who was the Union Steel Minster in the UPA government, rejoined the Samajwadi Party in 2016 after 9 years. Verma will now be the SP's general secretary, reports Times Now.

Deepak Mishra, a Mulayam Singh loyalist, downplays the Samajwadi Party rift saying "we are all together". CNN-News18 reported that preparations have started for the silver jubilee function of the party.

Meanwhile, SP leader Gayatri Prasad Prajapati claimed that the rift was the work of the BJP.

#SPlitWideOpen | There is no rift in party, we all are working together; SP is united: Deepak Mishra, SP

After news reports that Shivpal was going to be taken back into the UP cabinet, Shivpal said that everything was fine in the Samajwadi Party. He also reiterated that Mulayam was the ultimate boss in the SP.

"The patience of Akhilesh Yadav was always tested but he did not give in," Ram Gopal Yadav, expelled SP leader, said. "So these magicians have hoodwinked Netaji."

Ram Gopal Yadav also said that Mulayam was jealous because Akhilesh was a more popular leader than him. "Mulayam's statements were nonsensical," he said.

"Minus Akhilesh, there is no Samajwadi Party," said the expelled SP leader.

"Amar Singh had abused Netaji so much after leaving the party. When he went to other parties, other leaders — who are smarter than the leaders from our party — did not take him into their parties," Ram Gopal Yadav also said.

"If our leaders cannot understand that parties cannot be successful solely on the basis of money, it is really unfortunate," the expelled leader said. "These leaders of the SP are criminals in the eyes of the people. You will see this in the days to come."

"Now, I have no restrictions on me. I am not in the party anymore. I will say whatever is in my heart," he said.

10:08 (IST)

Father should be proud of son's success: Ram Gopal Yadav

"A father should be proud of his son's success. It is reverse here," Ram Gopal Yadav told NDTV. India Today TV also reported that Ram Gopal Yadav's nameplate had been removed from the SP office.

09:39 (IST)

Akhilesh to take Shivpal back in cabinet, sources tell CNN-News18

​(Updates begin for 25 October)

According to CNN-News18, sources said that a peace had been brokered between Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal and the Chief Minister was going to re-instate all the three sacked ministers.

The news channel also said that the comeback of Udayveer and Ram Gopal, who had been sacked from Samajwadi Party, was unlikely.

The meeting between the top SP leaders ended minutes before, ANI reports. Reports had earlier speculated an announcement after the huddle ended, but till now there is no word from any of the top leaders of the party.

Keep reading Live updates here.

20:41 (IST)

Amar Singh breaks silence

The man, who is caught in the eye of the storm, Amar Singh finally broke his silence oin on the ongoing power tussle in UP's ruling Samajwadi Partyand said, "For me silence is the best strategic answer to all questions."

My best wishes to Akhilesh Yadav; he is son of my supreme leader; won't make any comment: Amar Singh, SP MP

A day after the party supremo kicked him out of the party for six years, Ram Gopal Yadav on Monday told ANI that he will never join any other party. "I am not in Samajwadi Party now. I am joining any other party, never."

A day after he was expelled from Samajwadi Party for allegedly "colluding" with BJP, Ram Gopal Yadav, a loyalist of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and cousin of party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, said he is not with the party now. "I am not in Samajwadi Party now," he told mediapersons tersely at the airport here before flying out of the city. He was in Mumbai on Sunday.

Ram Gopal, who was the national general secretary of Samajwadi Party, was yesterday expelled from the party for six years by Mulayam, accusing him of hobnobbing with BJP. The party's Uttar Pradesh unit chief and Mulayam's brother Shivpal Yadav, who was dropped as a minister by Akhilesh, had accused Ram Gopal of hobnobbing with BJP to save himself and his son from a CBI probe in connection with alleged involvement in the Yadav Singh Noida scam probe.

What kind of party governs Uttar Pradesh where Chacha Shivpal Singh Yadav, also party chief for the state publicly says that his nephew and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is a liar? What kind of party is it — a chief minister's mic is snatched while he is speaking and told that he is lying.

The Yadav clan chieftain and ultimate boss of the Samajwadi Party, Mulayam Singh Yadav says that the current government is promoting gamblers, drunkards and that the power has gone to his son — the chief minister's head.

Whatever be the outcome of the ongoing war in the Samajwadi parivar, one thing is certain: This is the end of Mulayam Singh Yadav.

From here onwards, Netaji will survive as a caricature of his old self, leader of a faction of a party that self-destructed after a public spectacle where leaders called each other "dalal, BJP stooge, corrupt" and vied for the claim of being the bigger gunda. The talk seemed to resemble more a bar room free-for-all between maudlin drunks than a discussion among workers of India's major regional party.

"Acrimony, bitter exchanges and personal attacks marked a meeting of Samajwadi Party leaders, bringing to the fore the high-voltage power struggle in the first family with Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav trading barbs, while the chief minister was accused of planning to float a party, a charge he denied."

"According to CNN-News18, Akhilesh was set to be sacked from the post of the chief minister. However, no such confirmation has been made yet."

Udayveer Singh, a Samajwadi Party MLC and one of the closest aides of Akhilesh Yadav, was on Saturday expelled from the party for "undignified" conduct days after he wrote to SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav suggesting him to elevate the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister as the party's national president. A decision to expel Singh was taken after the inaugural meeting of the executive committee of SP's Uttar Pradesh unit adopted a resolution seeking action against him for his "derogatory" comments against Mulayam.

"Udayveer Singh has been expelled from the party for six years for his undignified and indisciplined behaviour," state party spokesman Ambika Chaudhary said.

"The party will not tolerate undignified behaviour and indiscipline. It has reached where it is in 25 years because of discipline," Chaudhary said.

In the four-page letter to the party supremo earlier this week, Singh had said, "SP state president Shivpal Yadav and other members of his family have misled you (Mulayam) and hatched a conspiracy against CM Akhilesh, who should be made party national president and given all the powers."

Singh, whose association with Akhilesh is over three decades hold, with both studying in school together, had reportedly also made some comments about Mulayam's second wife and Chief Minister's step mother, which angered the SP's first family.

Reacting to the development, Singh said he had only put before Mulayam his thoughts about the "conspiracy" against the Chief Minister.

Asked to comment on his expulsion, he said, "I will give my version only after getting the letter."

Maintaining that he had no regrets about the points raised by him in the letter, Singh said,"Netaji is the patron of the party. I am confident that he will do justice to me and the chief minister."

"Those who used foul language against the party chief are still in the party, but those who are the real well wishers and wrote letters are being expelled," Singh said.

Gaurav Bhatia, SP spokesman, said Singh had crossed the "Lakshman Rekha" in choosing the words he wrote in his letter to Mulayam which also hurt party workers.

"Questioning the leadership of Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is an elected president of the party, was wrong. An MLC cannot dictate who the party president will be. Anybody committing an act of indiscipline has to be punished and this is what has happened," he said.

On Singh's claim that a conspiracy has been hatched against Akhilesh, Bhatia said," These are unsubstantiated allegations".

Meanwhile, in yet another indication of continuing infighting within the party Akhilesh on Friday skipped a crucial party meeting convened by Shivpal Akhilesh did not attend the meeting of district presidents of the Samajwadi Party, even though Shivpal drove down to his residence on Friday to invite him personally for the event. He also announced that his Rath Yatra will start from 3 November and that he would inform the district chiefs, whose region the yatra passes, about the detailed programme.

The meeting was called to discuss the 2017 assembly elections and to prepare for a silver jubilee function of the ruling party scheduled for 5 November.
Informed sources said the Chief Minister was in no mood to compromise on his stated opposition to entry of criminals and re-entry of ministers accused of graft into the SP and demand for complete say in deciding tickets for the assembly elections.

Reacting to the recent developments in the party, old war horse Beni Prasad Verma, who returned to the party fold from Congress recently, said,"Netaji (Mulayam) is deeply pained. What has happened (Singh's letter to Mulayam) hurt Mulayam Singh's prestige.

"I would request Akhilesh to get things sorted out. It is time to close ranks (with assembly polls just months away)... there is little time."

Singh's explusion came a day after Akhilesh Yadav skipped a crucial meeting called by state party chief Shivpal Yadav to strategise for the assembly polls due early next year where the latter declared him the party's chief ministerial face.

Though Shivpal, the younger brother of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, had met Akhilesh to personally invite him to a meeting of SP district and city units presidents, the Chief Minister kept away, indicating all was not well in the party despite repeated claims by its senior leaders to the contrary. These delegates had later met Akhilesh separately.

Akhilesh, with whom Shivpal is engaged in a running feud over the last few months, had recently made it clear in a letter to Mulayam that he would be proceeding on his 'rath yatra' on November 3 to highlight the development work done by his government, in a clear indication that he would skip that event too.

With the tense stand-off between Akhilesh and Shivpal continuing, speculations about a possible split in the party are rife.

As a crisis-like situation obtained in the party, several top leaders including Beni Prasad Verma, Naresh Agarwal and state Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey met Mulayam earlier in the day. They were later closeted with Akhilesh in order to bring about rapprochement in the SP's first family.

Meanwhile, in a move that could further widen the divide between Akhilesh and Shivpal, the latter, who is the state president of the Samajwadi Party, has appointed chiefs of various youth fronts of the party.

The development came amid demands for reinstating the expelled presidents of these youth fronts who were considered close to the Chief Minister.

According to a party release, Abhishek Singh Ashu has been made president of Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha, Farhat Hasan Khan state president of SP Minorities sabha, Anil Verma state president of Mulayam Singh Yadav Youth Brigade, Vijay Yadav president of Lohia Vahini, Abhishek Tripathi general secretary of Lohia Vahini and Ashfiqur Rehman general secretary of Yuvjan Sabha.